A Second Chance
by 2903
Summary: Aaron Hotchner’s world was changed when he found out a little girl in his family was being abused. He already had a chance to be a father, will this time be different? (In this AU Jack and Haley both died in 100. V sad but I’m lazy.)
1. Reported

Chapter 1

Aaron Hotchner was sitting at his desk working through a tall stack of files when he heard a knock at the door. Not at all unusual, someone needed something.

"Come in." He said casually.

Penelope Garcia walked in with a file in her hand. Her eyes were slightly downcast but he didn't think too much into it.

"Sir, I think you might want to take a look at this. So, you know how I have all of your names tagged in the system so we're notified of anything that comes up right? Some people's get dinged all the time if they have a common last name, but yours hasn't yet I don't think until today."

"What is it Garcia?" He asked.

"A report to CPS about possible child abuse. Came from a teacher. Little girl, Mackenna Hyland, 3 years old, teacher says she routinely finds bruises on her." She said, almost running out of breath.

"I did some digging, because I wasn't sure if there was any actual relation. You do not have a very popular last name though and sure enough that baby girl is the child of Dean and Amy Hyland. Amy's maiden name is listed as Hotchner and records show she is your cousin on your fathers side."

She filled in further.

Hotch was quiet for a few moments and she stood there awkwardly.

"Can I see that?" He asked, gesturing to the file in her hand.

"Yes, of course." She responded, handing it over to him.

He briefly skimmed the pages before standing up and walking out of his office. He walked down the catwalk until he reached Rossi's office. His door was open so he just walked in.

It was a report of a complaint to Detroit police. A teacher noticed a student consistently coming in with unexplained injuries. It was awaiting action by CPS at the moment.

5 hours later found him, Rossi, and Emily on a flight out to Detroit.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Asked Emily.

"I want Dave to lead, don't introduce me by name. Say there's been a complaint and we'd like to visit and make sure the girl is safe." Hotch responded quietly.

The rest of the flight passed rather quickly, Hotch spent the time lost in thought.

He had grown up in a violent household. A picture perfect family with dark secrets behind their door. What if this little girl was going through the same thing?

They crashed at a hotel for the night, agreeing to meet outside the next morning at 8. It would be Saturday, and they were hoping to catch them when they were all home.

Hotch wasn't sure what to expect out of this situation. He didn't sleep much that night. What was he going to do if he found out this child was in danger? Just put her in the system? He couldn't possibly bring a child home. He already had his chance to be a father and he failed.

Rossi knocked on the door of a house in the suburbs, identical to the many others that surrounded it. Hotch and Emily stood behind him. Hotch held his usual calm facade, but Rossi and Emily could sense the tension.

A tall man with light hair opened the door. Hotch immediately noticed something off about him. He looked friendly to some extent, but there was something in his eyes that made him uneasy.

"Hi, my name is agent Rossi, we're here to check out a complaint made concerning the safety of a child in this household. May we come in?"

The man seemed taken aback for a moment.

"What? Am I being accused of something? Who even reported that?" He asked angrily.

"Sir. We can talk more inside. But we need to take a look around and talk to Mackenna. Is she here right now?"

"Fine. Come in. I'll go get her." He resigned, stepping away from the door and leading them in.

The agents stood in the living room area while the man disappeared into a bedroom. A few moments later, he returned with a girl following behind him.

"Here she is. Do all the talking you want. Good luck though, she's on the shy side." He said, sitting down on the sofa across from them.

Emily approached him and said, "Can we go talk somewhere else? I think it would be better to not have this conversation in front of her."

He nodded with the slightest hesitation, and guided her across the house into the dining room.

In the living room, Hotch sat on the sofa, the small girl standing a few feet in front of him.

"Hi Mackenna," he started "my name is Aaron. Can we talk for a little while?" He asked softly.

She nodded, not meeting his eyes. He noticed she was wearing long sleeves and pants, in July.

"Can you tell me about your mom and dad?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you feel like your parents get angry at you a lot?" She stared at her feet and answered softly.

"Sometimes."

He could tell she was holding back. There was something not right. 3 year olds were supposed to be loud and boisterous. She wouldn't even look up at him.

"Has anyone ever touched you in private places, or asked you to touch them in private places?" She seemed to freeze up, and after a few moments Hotch spoke again.

"Mackenna, we are here to help you if something bad is happening to you. Is there anyone in your family that is hurting you? It is okay to tell us."

A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away. She shook her head slowly before whispering.

"I.. I don't know."

"Would you like to show me your room?" Hotch offered, changing the topic.

At that, she looked up at him for the first time. She had long dark hair and striking blue eyes. She looked small for 3 years old, but he wasn't sure.

She lead him down the hall into her room.

"Wheres your mom Mackenna?" He asked.

"She's sleeping." She answered simply.

"Would it be okay if I asked you some questions about your family?" He asked her, kneeling down in front of her so he was eye level with her.

She nodded her head shyly but wouldn't meet his eyes still.

"Do you feel safe and happy with mommy?" He started, getting an almost immediate nod and smile.

"Do you feel safe and happy with daddy too?" He asked, and saw her hesitation. It was only a split second before she nodded again, but it was there.

She sunk farther back, leaning slightly away from him. Hotch knew something was wrong. He felt it in the pit of his stomach.

"Do any grown ups ever do things with you that grown ups shouldn't do?" He asked.

He waited for a few moments but she remained motionless. Instead of pressing her he decided to move on.

"Mackenna, is there anyone who scares you or makes you feel sad?"

She started shaking and looking around the room frantically. Her lip trembled and he could tell she was on the verge of tears.

"I want mommy." She cried, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Hotch felt terrible. Something was happening to this girl. He needed to find out what it was and how to stop it. But for now, she had been questioned enough.

"Okay, honey. Will you show me where your mommy's room is and we can go get her?" He asked, standing up.

She led him out of her room and down the hall. They entered the dark master bedroom.

The first thing Hotch noticed was the blankets over the windows. Second was the array of pill bottles on the left nightstand. A woman was sleeping under a pile of blankets, and he watched as the little girl climbed up on the bed and sat next to her.

"Mommy?"

"Mommy wake up."

The mother stirred and groaned but nothing else. Hotch walked over to the bed and picked up one of the pill bottles on the nightstand. It was prescription strength xanax. There goes being able to talk to the mother.

"Mommy's still taking a nap." The girl said, seeming much more relaxed now. "I want to lay down with her."

"Okay, I'm going to leave this card with my number on it on your mommy's table. Do you know how to use a phone?" He asked, thinking it was worth a shot.

"Yes! Mommy showed me how. I can call 9-1-1." She answered excitedly.

"Okay. That's good. I'm going to circle a number on this card for you. If you need anything, I want you to call that number and I can come help you, okay?" He paused for sign of understanding.

"If you start to feel scared, or if something bad is happening, you can put that number into the phone and it will call me."

With that, they finally exited the house. Hotch was curious to see how Emily's interview with the father went.

Hotch, Rossi and Emily all piled into the SUV. Before he could even say anything, Emily blurted out.

"Somethings going on in there Hotch." She said uneasily.

"I know." He answered.


	2. Call

Author's note: (late)

This story has been in my head for a while, I have a few chapters written out so I decided to post it. Let me know if you have any ideas for future chapters because I am running out. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the reviews.

Chapter 2

The call came sooner than he expected. It had only been a few hours, and was now around 6 pm. The agents were sitting in Hotch's hotel room with Garcia on the phone, searching further into the lives of the family.

It was from an unidentified number. Hotch answered it immediately and brought it to his ear. He motioned Garcia to trace.

"Hello?"

He heard shaky small breaths from the other end of the line.

"Mackenna, are you okay?" He asked calmly. He could tell something was very wrong already and he needed her to stay calm.

"Mommy and daddy are angwy" she stuttered, and he could hear her tears, and distant voices in the background.

Screaming, and the little girls hushed crying.

"I think he's huwting her." She choked out.

"Okay, we are on our way to come get you. Are you in your room?" He asked.

"No, I'm in the bafroom." She whimpered.

"Mommy told me to stay here." She was now crying loudly and Hotch could still hear the woman's screams.

Suddenly, the background was quiet. Extremely unnervingly quiet.

Hotch heard the girl start to hold her breath. The sound of footsteps, and the door knob jiggling. Then silence again. For minutes. He could hear Mackenna's shaky but quiet breaths.

They were in the car now, driving with about 10 minutes left.

That was where the quiet ended. Mad pounding and screaming. Roaring, insane laughter and then a crash.

The girl screamed loudly and then the line went dead.

"Fuck" Hotch said angrily, hitting the steering wheel.

Emily had tears in her eyes and Rossi was holding her hand.

It seemed like an eternity before they pulled into the driveway. They all jumped out of the SUV and ran to the house. Hotch tried the locked door before kicking it in without hesitation. Guns drawn, they ran into the house, immediately coming across the mother.

She was covered in blood and didn't look to be moving or breathing. Hotch motioned Emily to her and he swiftly moved to the bathroom. The lock was smashed in, and Hotch slammed open the door.

He was kneeling over the full bathtub, his arms were wet up to the shoulder, and with horror Hotch realized what was going on.

Without thought, Hotch grabbed the father and threw him away from the tub. He knew Rossi could take care of it from there.

Mackenna tried to sit up but slipped and fell back into the cold water. Hotch reached in and pulled her out quickly.

She began to cough up water and Hotch held her over his arm patting her back.

"Shh shh it's okay honey you're safe."

When her violent coughing turned into sobs a few moments later he brought her to his chest and carried her out of the room, purposefully using his body to shield her view of the living room.

He carried her into her room and tried to set her down on her bed so he could get her into dry clothes. She clung to him tight and squeezed her eyes closed.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'm just going to put you down so we can get you some clothes." He tried to soothe her.

"Mommy!" She cried desperately, opening her eyes and looking around.

He brought her back up into his arms and she laid limply on his shoulder crying.

With some difficulty, he changed her into dry clothes and packed a bag with a few days changes of clothes in it.

He wrapped her up in her blanket from her bed and carried her out. She was more aware of her surroundings now, and to his dismay, the crime scene unit was still taking care of the body.

"Mommy!" She wailed onto his shoulder. His heart stung and he rubbed the sobbing girl's back, walking out of the house as quickly as he could.

There was an ambulance waiting for them outside. Hotch climbed into the back and tried to set her down on the stretcher to let the paramedics look at her.

She began to panic, trying to hold onto him.

"Please no" she sobbed.

Hotch couldn't take it. He figured they could do everything they needed to do with him holding her and he couldn't bear to let her hurt more than she already was.

He sat on the gurney and one of the paramedics, a kind looking woman sat next to him.

"Hi honey, we need to see if you're hurt okay? Will you let me listen to your heart with this stethoscope?" She asked, starting out easy Hotch knew.

Mackenna nodded shakily and let the woman place the stethoscope on her chest.

"Okay, sounds like she's got a little fluid in her lungs, her body should be able to take care of it but she's gonna cough for a little while." She informed Hotch.

"Are you hurting anywhere else?" She asked the girl softly, getting nothing more than a head shake.

"Okay sweetheart. We're gonna take you to the hospital and let the doctors check you out."


	3. Hospital

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. I hate writing about hospitals. Please feel free to leave a review and tell e what you think.

The paramedics wheeled her off the ambulance and straight into a private room. The hospital had been well aware they were on their way and prepared adequately.

"Alright, just wait here and a nurse will be in to see you in just a moment." The kind woman said before leaving Hotch and Mackenna in the room alone.

She was shivering and sniffling slightly. He could tell she was trying not to cry in front of him and it broke his heart. He wanted nothing more than to just take her out of this place and keep her safe. The thought was strange to him.

Soon enough, a nurse slid in through the door and greeted them formally.

"Hi, my name is nurse Abby I'll be taking care of you for a little while before the doctor comes in."

Hotch introduced himself and Mackenna, who was looking at her hands. He could tell the nurse was already told about the situation so he didn't need to rehash it.

"We're going to do some exams, alright honey? And we're going to need to take some of your clothes off. Would you like agent Hotchner to wait outside for a little while till we're done?" She asked softly.

"I... I don't want to." Mackenna said so quietly they could barely hear her.

Hotch sighed inwardly. He knew this was going to be hard for her and he wasn't ready for the tears. This poor baby girl could only take so much.

"Well.. honey this is something we have to do right now. It's not a choice." The nurse explained carefully.

"But... but I... I don't want that." She forced out, her voice trembling with tears.

She burst into tears against her own will and Hotch was by her side in an instant, trying to soothe her. She startled and began to fight. Her already exhausted toddler brain was going into panic mode.

Hotch held her arms so she wouldn't hurt herself. The nurse disappeared for a moment and Hotch saw her readying a syringe out of the corner of his eye.

The nurse quickly sedated her and she fell limply into Hotch's hold. He laid her down gently, brushing the hair off her face. He plopped down on the plastic chair he had been sitting in and put his head in his hands. No child should have to go through this.

Luckily, they were able to do all the examination they needed to do while she was asleep. The results weren't pretty. This was a child who had been physically and sexually abused for probably her entire life. She was underweight and small for her age. She would have to undergo psychological testing later, but for now she could be released safely.

Hotch scooped the drowsy baby off the bed and carried her out into the waiting room, where Emily and Rossi sat. They walked through the parking garage to the SUV silently. It was only once they were in the car driving that someone spoke.

"What's going to happen to her Hotch?" Emily asked.

"I don't know yet. I need to talk to Garcia. Could one of you guys call her and put it on speaker?"

"On it." Rossi replied.

"Hey! Tell me you've got an update for me?" Garcia's bubbly voice floated over the line.

"Yes, but first I've got some questions for you." Hotch said.

"I'm all ears boss man."

"Does Mackenna have any living family besides myself?" He asked.

"Umm.. let me see." She paused. "Yes, we've got two uncles and a grandpa, on dads side." She informed him. Hotch put a hand to his face.

There was no way he could send her off with that man's family. It was starting to look like he was going to bring a kid home.

"Okay, thank you Garcia. We just got done at the hospital and she's doing alright. Still sleeping off the medicine they gave her." Hotch informed her.

They pulled into the parking lot of the hotel that they were staying in. Hotch could tell Mackenna was starting to wake up. She was shifting slightly and making small noises.

They all went to their separate rooms and put their things together, before meeting back in the hallway and heading out to the jet. At this point, Mackenna was awake, holding Hotch's hand.

The drive to the jet was peaceful. Mackenna sat in Hotch's lap holding her blanket to her chest. Rossi "reminded" him it was unsafe for her to sit on him in a moving car. Hotch swore he would pull Jack's old car seat out when he got home.

"Have you ever been on an airplane?" Emily asked the little girl.

She looked up at her shyly and shook her head.


	4. Home

When the team boarded the jet, everyone got settled in their various seats. Hotch carried the little girl over to the couch and laid her down on her tummy, covering her up with her blanket.

He figured with all that she had been through and the fact that she'd never flown before, it would be best if she slept through takeoff. He sat next to her and began to rub her back, noticing how she looked at him strangely.

In a few moments, however, her eyes closed and she began to drift off. Hotch waited until he completely sure she was asleep before finding a seat next to Emily and picking up a case file, ignoring how they were staring at him.

He was hoping they wouldn't ask any questions, because he wasn't ready to think about it yet.

"Hotch, what are you going to do with her?"

No such luck.

"I... I don't know. If I don't take her she'll go to her dads brother or foster care. I just... I don't think I can do that..." Hotch trailed off, and Rossi knew to leave it at that.

About halfway through the trip, Hotch awoke from a light slumber to the soft sound of crying. He opened his eyes and noticed his surroundings. He was on the jet. Who was crying? He snapped his head up and looked around.

His gaze landed on Mackenna, who was sitting up on the couch with tears in her eyes. He quickly got up and made his way over to her.

"Hey, honey, are you okay?" He asked softly, kneeling in front of her.

"Mommy" she cried, her voice breaking.

Hotch picked her up gently under her arms and brought her up to him. He noticed a small wet patch on her pants and realized something rather important. She was only 3, she might not be fully potty trained yet. He hadn't even thought of that.

She clung to his shirt and cried for a few minutes before falling back asleep. Her coughing was also starting to get worse, which didn't help her breathing. Hotch took to changing her into dry clothes and laid her back down on the other side of the couch.

The rest of the plane ride passed quietly, and Hotch wasn't surprised when Mackenna was still asleep by the end. He gently lifted her off the couch, smiling when she curled into him.

Then his heart began to hurt, badly. It was the feeling he had been pushing off, coming back with a vengeance. He missed Jack. His own baby that he failed to protect. Who was about this age when his life was abruptly cut off.

He had to stop himself or he wasn't going to be able to hide it from the team.

They made their way back to their cars in the airport parking garage. The walk always felt like an eternity. Time almost seemed meaningless in the airport. It was mildly busy regardless of when they were there. The businesses were always open and the place hummed with quiet energy.

Emily had offered to come home with him for a while to help out with the transition and he thought it was a good idea. Maybe having a female figure there would help ease her into the new situation.

They climbed into the car, Emily drove while Hotch sat with Mackenna in his lap in the back. He vowed this to be the last time he drove her without a car seat. He'd seen the results of those accidents and they were gruesome.

When they arrived at Hotch's house, Emily lead the way and opened the door for him. He carried Mackenna up to the guest bedroom, laying her on top of the comforter and tucking her blanket around her, before putting pillows on both sides of her so she wouldn't fall off the bed.

He returned downstairs to find Emily sitting on the couch reading her book. She looked up as he entered the room.

"Thanks for staying. I really appreciate it." He said.

"Of course. It was the least I could do." She said softly.

"I'll grab you some blankets and pillows. Is there anything else I can get you?" He asked.

"No, that should be fine, thank you."

Hotch smiled at her before heading up to his bedroom. He purposefully left his door and the guest bedroom door open and turned the hallway light on.

Her coughing kept him in a light sleep for the first few hours, so he was easily alerted to her when she began to cry softly upon waking at 4 am. He got out of bed and walked to the guest room quickly, observing her sitting up on the bed holding her blanket and shaking.

"Hi, Mackenna. You're okay. Did you have a bad dream?" He asked her soothingly from the doorway.

She responded only with a sob and curling in on herself. Her gaze was darting around the room and she shook as she cried miserably.

Hotch approached her slowly, speaking as he did.

"You're okay, Mackenna, you're safe."

She looked in his direction and hesitated for a long moment before reaching her arms out for him. Hotch picked her up off the bed and held her in his arms, bouncing her gently. She clung to his shirt and sobbed into his shoulder. Hotch swore he felt his heart breaking.

Her body began to go limp in his arms and he was happy to notice she was falling back asleep. He continued to rock her for a few more minutes.

He hadn't noticed Emily standing in the door way until she spoke.

"You work miracles don't you Hotch?" She said softly.

He turned and smiled at her as he tucked Mackenna back into bed.

"Thanks"

"It's still early we should both try to get some more sleep." She told him, he nodded.

"Are you okay, Hotch?" She asked, having noticed just how quiet he was being.

"Yeah... yeah I'm just tired." He reassured her.

"Okay" she paused, "well, you know I'm here for you. Anything you need."

With that they both went back to their beds and tried to get back the rest of the nights sleep.

The next morning, Hotch woke up naturally at around 6 am. The first thing he did was check on Mackenna. He was worried she may have woken up again and not knowing where she was she may have been frightened.

He pushed open the cracked door and was relieved to see her sleeping soundly still. He decided he would let her sleep as long as she could and went downstairs to check if Emily was awake or not.

He wasn't surprised to see her already up and drinking coffee on the couch. She greeted him as he walked down the stairs.

"Morning. Hope you don't mind, I made coffee."

"No, not at all. How'd you sleep?"

"Good. It's not a bad couch. Slept on much worse."

"That's good. She's still sleeping, probably a good thing. I was thinking about making breakfast."


	5. Grace

A/N: So my focus has slightly shifted from this story but I'm still working on it. Ideas and feedback are very welcome. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 5

Mackenna awoke slowly to sunlight beaming through the curtains and tickling her face. She rolled over blearily and sighed, feeling comfortable and warm. She wasn't quite aware of where she was yet but she felt safe so she let herself doze.

She heard sounds in the distance. Adults talking. She wondered who it was. She sat up slowly and surveyed the room she was in. She was on a big bed, the room had a dresser and a mirror with a small TV. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to leave this room, but the door was open.

She rolled onto her tummy and slid off the bed slowly, padding to the door and standing before the hallway hesitantly. She wandered out carefully, making sure she was quiet. She walked over to the stairs and peeked down them.

She could see two grown ups sitting on the couch. She watched them for a moment before one of them- the man, noticed her. She shrunk back immediately and froze.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but she couldn't move. Soon enough a figure appeared and she gasped, stumbling backwards and falling down. Tears sprung to her eyes and her heart started pounding in her chest.

Tears slipped down her cheeks and it took her a moment to realize the man was speaking to her.

"Mackenna, you're okay. You are safe here. Nobody can hurt you." He said, kneeling in front of her.

His eyes were soft and his tone was kind. Not what she was expecting.

"Would you like to come downstairs? There's breakfast if you are hungry." He asked her. She seemed to be calming down.

He helped her up off the floor and led her downstairs, all while she watched him curiously. Incredulous that he didn't hit her. She was sure he was going to. Maybe this man was nice like mommy.

Mommy. Where was she? Maybe the man knew.

"Where's mommy?" She asked so quiet he barely heard her. The man said nothing, but led her to a couch and had her sit down.

"Mackenna, mommy got very hurt and she's not going to be here anymore. It's okay to be sad about that." He tried to explain, cringing at his own words. There was no easy way to say this.

"Mommy not here anymore?" She asked shakily, and he knew tears would be coming.

"Yes honey, I'm sorry. But you're going to be okay."

"Mommy!" She began to cry and he hesitantly brought her up into his arms. She latched onto him and fisted her hands in his shirt.

He hushed her and rocked her for a while. Emily watched concernedly, tears slipping down her cheeks freely. After a little bit, Mackenna calmed down and he asked her if she was ready to eat. She nodded silently and he stood and settled her on the couch, turning on the TV and handing Emily the remote.

While Hotch made breakfast, Emily asked Mackenna what she liked to watch. She got nothing but a small shrug so she put on the magic school bus. Within minutes the little girl was watching intensely, and Emily thought she even saw her smile once or twice.

When Hotch re entered the room and announced breakfast was ready she startled at his voice, jumping slightly. Both Emily and Hotch noticed.

"Ready to eat?" Emily asked her. She nodded and accepted Emily's outstretched hand.

Hotch was more than slightly concerned about her sudden non verbal ness. He made a plate for her and set it down in front of her. She ate eagerly, which he was glad for. She needed it. When she cleared her plate he asked her if she wanted more. She nodded shyly and he smiled at her warmly.

After they had all finished, they headed back into the living room. Emily sat with Mackenna on one sofa and Hotch sat on the other.

"Mackenna" he started slowly, making sure he had her attention. "Would you be okay with staying here with me? We can get you some new clothes and toys."

She looked up at him silently for a while before nodding slowly. He honestly wasn't sure to what extent she understood what was going on.

"Okay, would you like to go to the store and pick out some things soon?"

Before they left, Emily gave Mackenna a bath and braided her hair. She was shy, but Emily had gotten her to giggle a few times in the bath.

She also helped her get on the toilet and go potty. She found a stool Hotch had, probably from Jack and put it next to the toilet.

"Do you always wear undies and use the potty?" Emily asked.

"Sometimes pull-ups." She answered.

"When do you put pull-ups on?"

"When I... go to sleep in bed."

"Okay. We'll get some from the store then."

Emily dressed her in a pair of black leggings and a baby pink sweater. She noticed the girl shivering and asked.

"Are you cold, honey?"

Mackenna nodded shakily, and Emily grabbed her blanket off the bed and wrapped it around her, smiling at the way the little girl snuggled it.

It was obviously worn, but not dirty. A soft pink and yellow quilt with a fuzzy underside. When Mackenna turned slightly, Emily saw the blanket had her full name on it.

Mackenna Grace Hyland

"Ready to go Mackenna Grace?" Emily asked, smiling as the girl's head popped up and she looked at Emily for a moment.

"You know my name?" She asked.

"Of course. Do you know mine?"

The little girl shook her head and looked down.

"My name is Emily Elizabeth Prentiss, but all my friends just call me Emily or Em."

She paused.

"Let's go find Hotch and get going."

The trip to the store went off without a hitch, and they left with everything they needed and more. She had been shy at first, but eventually he got her to pick out some toys and clothes. They also picked up toiletries and some snacks for her.

While he was driving home, Hotch looked in the rear view mirror and smiled. Mackenna was out, with her head leaning against the side of the car seat and her mouth slightly parted.

She looked like a normal, happy child. He was noticing a lot of improvement. She was starting to make eye contact without hesitation, and would speak when spoken to.

It was a good idea having Emily there. He knew Mackenna's mom had been her safe person for her whole life and she wasn't used to being able to trust a man. She was still jumpy around him but he could see that he was slowly starting to earn her trust.

When she reached out for him last night he felt they'd reached a small milestone. She trusted him to hold her and comfort her when she was scared.

His thoughts halted when he realized where he was. He had just put his car in park, and Emily was already out of the car. He climbed out and went around to the back seat.

Gently lifting her out, he was able to keep her asleep, carrying her into the spare bedroom and laying her down. He went back out to the car and helped Emily bring the rest of the stuff in. They got to work putting it away quietly.

Hotch looked at Mackenna in the bed. It was way too big for her. He'd have to refurnish this room to make it suitable for her. He was nervous she would fall off of it, but she got off just fine this morning. He kissed her forehead and left the door open, heading downstairs to find Emily.


	6. Baby

A/N: (long, dragging TMI. You don't have to read this.) Sorry it's been forever. I've kinda had to take a break from writing. I'm updating this story because it seemed like people liked it. I predominately write for just myself, and putting it out into the world feels very intimate and it gives me anxiety. It's one thing to be responsible for yourself and how you appear, but when you write or draw or whatever you also have to be responsible for the things you create and put into the world. I think I started writing fanfic only because there was fanfic I wanted to read that didn't exist. Then I thought maybe someone else would appreciate the stories I made. Now we're here. Thank you, enjoy. If you don't like it please just keep it to yourself you'll hurt my feelings :((

Chapter 6

Mackenna woke up about 2 hours later in the same bedroom she had woken up in this morning. She was tucked in, and she brought her blanket with her as she slid off the bed.

This time, she left the room without hesitation and went downstairs to look for the woman named "Em'ly" and the man called "Hoch".

It didn't take long. They were seated on the couch with papers scattered all around them. Some of them had words, some had pictures. They must not have seen her approaching them, because they stayed turned around talking to each other.

She took her blanket and brought it to the other couch, laying down and trying her best to cover herself up. Her head popped up at the sound of her name. The man was talking to her.

"How did you sleep?" He asked.

"I take a nap." She said into the couch cushion, pulling the blanket farther over her head.

"Not done yet I guess." Emily laughed.

She dozed on the couch for about 30 more minutes before she sat up and looked around. Hotch was gone, and so was Emily. Did they leave her?

She got up and began to wander around the house, it was big and unfamiliar. She found herself in an empty kitchen, which lead to an empty dining room.

Mackenna was starting to get scared. She'd never been left home alone before, and she didn't want to be now. Especially in a strange house. She decided she would try to check every room before she got sad about it.

"Hi Mackenna, are you ready to eat lunch?"

She startled and jumped back from the noise.

Hotch was standing in the doorway to the dining room, and she stared at him for a long moment before nodding.

"Where's Em'ly?" She asked quietly.

"She went home for a little while. I think she's going to come back for dinner. Is that okay?"

Mackenna nodded silently.

"Do you wanna open up some of those toys we got today?"

She smiled shyly and nodded again.

He led her into the living room and got her settled on the couch, before bringing the bags of toys she had picked out in.

"Which one do you want to do first?" He asked.

She pointed to a baby doll and he picked it up. He cut the doll out of the package and handed it to her before getting to work on the smaller toys that came with it.

When he looked up she was cradling the baby in her arms and patting it's back gently.

"Does your baby want a bottle?" He asked, holding out the small bottle to her.

She grinned and accepted it, feeding her baby. He smiled at her warmly and got up.

"I'm going to start dinner. Will you be okay in here?" He asked.

"Yeah." She responded.

"Okay, if you want to open another toy just bring it to me. I'll be in the kitchen." He palmed her head gently as he walked past her.

Mackenna looked up as he left the room. She knew he was just going to the kitchen, but part of her was scared to be alone.

He hadn't hurt her yet, and he had been taking care of her like mommy did. He even got her toys, like the one she was holding now.

She looked down at her baby, it was small and cute and she wanted to cuddle it. She laid in the couch and curled up with the baby. Her thumb went to her mouth and she sucked gently.

Instantly she felt her body relax. She cuddled her baby and hummed quietly to herself.

When Hotch came to check on her, he noticed her thumb in her mouth and frowned. It wasn't good for her teeth, he knew that. He also knew that a pacifier would be less harmful to her teeth. She was a little bit old for that, but this was the most comfortable he'd seen her so far.

He texted Emily and asked her kindly if she could pick some up on the way, promising cash and wine upon completion. He decided he'd try to offer her it tonight if he saw her doing it again.

He returned to cooking dinner after checking in on her and making sure she was okay. Emily arrived before he was done and he let her in quickly.

Emily sat on the couch next to Mackenna.

"Hi! Did you get a baby doll?" She asked her excitedly.

Mackenna smiled and nodded, not yet meeting Emily's eyes.

"Do you have a name for her yet?" Emily asked, at that Mackenna looked up at her.

"Baby." She answered simply.

"Alright!" Emily laughed, "Hello Baby."

Just about then, Hotch came into the room and notified them that dinner was ready.

They all gathered in the dining room to eat, Hotch had already set the table for 3.

Dinner was peaceful and Hotch and Emily were able to engage Mackenna in conversation. She seemed to be settling in slowly but nicely. She ate eagerly though, as if she was scared the food would go away if she stopped.

She kept glancing up at him occasionally and Hotch realized that she probably did think he was going to take the food away.

"Take your time, sweetheart. It's not going anywhere. I don't want you to eat too fast and make your stomach hurt." He encouraged her.

She met his eyes and nodded meekly, proceeding to take slower bites of her food.

By the end of dinner, Hotch could tell Mackenna was getting tired. He wiped her face and hands with a warm washcloth and took her into the living room, noting how she slipped her thumb in her mouth

He settled her in on the couch and got the pacifier pack that Emily for at the store. It had a pink and a purple one in it. Hotch pulled out the pink one and brought it back into the living room.

Mackenna was laying back against the cushion next to Emily sucking her thumb still. Her legs were curled up and her eyes were half closed.

Hotch sat next to her and gently pulled her thumb out of her mouth.

"Try this." He said, giving her the pacifier.

She eyed it carefully before putting it in her mouth and starting to suck. Instantly she knew this was way better than her hand. She couldn't resist closing her eyes and letting herself doze on the couch, sucking hard on the pacifier.

"I think that will be better for her teeth than her thumb. I'm glad she took it." He whispered to Emily.

He gently lifted her from the couch and brought her up to her room. He changed her into a pull-up and some pajamas, tucking her in under her blanket. She was still sucking on the pacifier and he couldn't bear how cute she was. He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her forehead.

Mackenna woke up from a strange dream around 11:30, she found her pacifier next to her head as she rolled over to get off the bed. She put it in her mouth and began to suck. It helped calm her from her dream and she felt her fear melt away.

She didn't want to put herself back to bed though, and the man Hotch told her to come get him if she wakes up at night. So she wandered down the hall and saw light glowing from downstairs and the sound of TV.

She walked down the stairs carefully without making any noise. Their backs were to her and they were watching a movie.

Emily had gotten sleepy and her head came to rest on his shoulder, her side pressed to his. He put an arm around her and they stayed like that.

Mackenna approached the couch and Hotch saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hi sweetheart. Are you alright?" He asks.

She just nodded her head, not willing to take out the pacifier right now.

One of Hotch's arms was wrapped around Emily so he extended the other towards her. She came to him and let him pull her up onto the couch. She snuggled into his chest and he leaned back with her. He let the movie play and looked down at Mackenna. She was already back asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful. He smoothed her hair back and closed his eyes.

He woke up at around 2 am. He still had Mackenna on one side and Emily on his other. The scene made him smile. Two girls that had become incredibly important to him recently.

He valued all his team immensely, but he had grown close with Emily over the past year. They had both been through a lot and they helped each other deal. Hotch found himself going out of his way to make her happy.

He carefully removed himself from Emily and carried Mackenna upstairs. He laid her in bed and tucked her blanket around her.

He went back downstairs and covered Emily up with a blanket. He couldn't stop himself from stroking a piece of hair off of her face.


	7. Seven

I'm sorry I kinda abandoned this story I do this thing where I switch fandoms randomly every few months. I'll probably return to it a some point. I already had this chapter written but hadn't posted it. Enjoy and please don't be mean to me it'll make me sad and I don't like that.

Chapter 7

Hotch woke up at around 4 to footsteps in the hallway. He thought maybe Mackenna needed something, so he quickly got up and stepped out his open door.

Instead of Mackenna, Emily was standing before the stairs looking back at him.

"You alright?" He asked, still not fully there yet.

"Yeah.." Her voice sounded shaky and he snapped out of his sleep induced daze.

Hotch looked into her eyes and saw the evidence of tears. She looked down when she knew he noticed.

"Emily, what's wrong?" He asked, approaching her.

She didn't say anything for a long moment, only looking at him. He could tell how upset she was, tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them away.

Hotch rubbed her shoulder and putting his arm around her.

"Hey, it's okay. Tell me why you're upset." He whispered.

"I just... I just woke up confused I think. I don't know why. It was dark and I couldn't remember where I was. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." She explained quietly.

"No, it's alright. Do you want to sit down and have some water?" He asked.

Emily just nodded silently and let him guide her into his bedroom. He settled her on the side of the bed, which she found was still warm from him sleeping in it.

Hotch walked out of the attached bathroom with a plastic cup 3/4 full of water. He handed it to her carefully and sat next to her.

She took a few sips and set it on the bedside table. She was still shaking, and she couldn't lose the sense of unease she felt from her dream. It was better with Hotch there, though.

Better enough that she was starting to get sleepy again. Hotch noticed the way she swayed gently from side to side.

"Hey, I want you to sleep in here for the rest of the night, okay? I'll take the couch." He said softly, standing up.

Hotch guided her to lay down on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He sat beside her and moved her hair off her face with his hand.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked gently.

Emily seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Can you stay?"

"Of course."

He flicked off the lamp and laid down on the other side of the bed. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed circles onto her shoulders.

"Go back to sleep. It's okay."

Mackenna woke up at about 9:30. She quietly crept into the hallway and listened for any voices. Hearing none, she decided they must still be sleeping.

Grabbed her blanket off the bed and her water off the bedside table and ventured downstairs. She wandered around carefully, not making any noise.

After a few moments, she realized she really needed to go potty. She went back upstairs and into the bathroom. She struggled with the zipper on her pajamas for a moment too long, though, and she accidentally peed into her pull-up.

Her face reddened when she realized what she had done. Mommy and daddy did not like when she had accidents.

Her parents, mainly her father had found potty training her so frustrating that they resorted to spanking her and making her sit in wet clothes and diapers.

It didn't work, though. It actually probably made things worse for her. She had more frequent accidents when she was worried or scared. She had been wetting the bed every night since her mother died.

To Mackenna, Hotch didn't seem upset about her having accidents at night. But she knew grownups could be mad even if they didn't tell you right away.

But a daytime accident? She knew better. She wasn't supposed to be a baby anymore. Mackenna realized tears were streaming down her face and dripping onto the floor. She stood just in front of the toilet with her pajama half unzipped.

Was he going to be angry with her? Make her stay in the wet pull-up until her skin stung? Hit her? To make matters worse, the pull-up leaked. She felt liquid streaming down her leg and soaking her pajamas.

She needed to find Emily. Maybe she would not be angry. She probably would be though... Mackenna knew if she hid it would be much worse for her when she was found.

The thought scared her enough to run into Hotch's room. Hotch awoke to the sound of the door creaking open, which was quickly followed by the small girl he had tucked into bed hours before.

She entered and looked up at him sitting in the bed. She looked horrified, freezing and looking around the room quickly. She spotted Emily sleeping on the other side of the bed and ran to her, trying to hide.

Hotch could hear her crying and quickly got out of bed.

"Mackenna, what's wrong?" He asked.

She only cried out and shouted "No!", seeming to upset herself even more.

She tried to push herself back away from him. At this commotion, Emily woke up.

"What's going on?" She asked groggily.

"I'm not sure, Mackenna, are you okay? Why are you upset?" He asked gently.

At this she only shook her head vigorously for a few seconds, causing strands of her hair to land on her face. She covered her head and her eyes, curling in on herself.

"Mackenna, sweetheart, what's wrong??" Emily asked, touching the young girls arm.

"No!" She desperately cried, jumping away from her touch.

Both Hotch and Emily noticed the wet spots on her pajamas at the same time. They looked at each other briefly, not knowing what to do.

Mackenna was shaking, her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the first hit. The first one was always the worst. She hoped that would be the end of it. He'd just spank her or strike her and wouldn't go farther.

Her father liked to humiliate her when she wet her bed. Verbally degrade her, make her stand outside in just her wet undies or pull-up, bathe her forcefully and molest her in the process.

It felt like it only ever got worse. She was so scared. Her mommy was gone. There was nobody to protect her, to try to stop daddy when he was hurting her too much.

Mackenna sobbed into her arms and Hotch's heart dropped. He knew this reaction all too well. Fear, despair, resignation. What he had felt every time he anticipated his fathers beating as a child.

Hotch sat down next to her, not touching her.

"Hey, everything's okay. Can we get you changed into clean clothes? I don't want you to sit in wet pajamas." He whispered kindly.

She peeked our from under her crossed arms and seeing him sitting next to her, his hands unclenched, his face kind, his voice soft, she lowered her arms.

"There you go. I promise you're okay. Listen, sweetheart I will never hurt you. I'm not going to let anybody else hurt you. I know at home people hurt you sometimes, right?"

Mackenna hesitated before shakily nodding.

"Nobody can do that anymore. You're safe here."

She choked out a sob and looked back and forth from him and Emily.

"Do you want to get you changed into fresh clothes?" Hotch asked.

Mackenna was nervous about getting undressed, Emily usually had to convince her into it. He wasn't sure she'd be comfortable with him helping her yet.

Right now, she didn't want to deal with that. She couldn't. She felt broken down, like she couldn't do anything right now. She just wanted to be held and feel safe. She wanted her mom but if she was truly safe here like he said maybe he would hold her like mommy did too.

Her gaze landed on Hotch, sitting cross legged in front of her on the floor. She reached out for him on a whim, needing love, and was somewhat surprised when he took her right into his arms.

At first she was hesitant, not knowing for sure if it was going to be a good touch or not. When he began to rub her back like he did after she woke up during the night, she gave up. Letting her guard down, she laid her head on his shoulder gently.

She popped her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes. Hotch stood with her carefully, set her down on the bed in the room she slept in and met her eyes, before reaching for the zipper of her pajama. She let him undress her but he couldn't miss the way she shook lightly and laid so still, just watching him.

Hotch quickly redressed her in a baby blue striped jumper and pulled her back up into his arms.

"There we go. All better."

She wrapped her arms right around his neck, burying her face in his neck. It felt surreal to her. Knowing her mother was gone but she was still being held and loved. Her daddy couldn't hurt her anymore. It was good and bad.

The emotion was too intense for her to process, and she could only cry and struggle to take in air. She felt frozen, suffocating and unable to move.

"Oh, honey." Hotch whispered, sitting down on the bed with her.

He grabbed her pacifier off the bed and held in his hand. She shakily reached out for it and put it in her mouth. Hotch rocked her back and forth and shushed her quietly.

Mackenna tried her best to calm herself down, focusing on the sensation of being rocked and sucking.

"It's alright, you're okay."

"I'm sorry.."

Hotch's heart fell, hearing that come out of a toddlers mouth. He noticed then that Emily was standing in the doorway, observing them. He met her eyes and spoke.

"You don't need to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Do you understand?" He asked.

She nodded into him and he smoothed her hair down.

"I want my blanket" She whispered sadly into his chest.

Emily was fast to get her blanket from the bed, tucking it around the small girl. She watched as it was pulled into her small fists and up to her face.

She looked up at Hotch, and saw the concern and sadness she felt mirrored in his eyes.

"It's okay." He said, to both of them, pulling Emily to his side with the arm that wasn't holding Mackenna.

In the next 10 minutes they ended up sleeping cuddled up together on the bed. Hotch laid flat on his back with Mackenna on his chest and Emily was nestled against him side.

He woke up about 30 minutes later, letting himself lay there for a little while longer before he woke Emily and Mackenna up.


End file.
